[Event "Koelle, 2018"]
[Site "Mechanics Institute"]
[Date "2018-10-25"]
[White "Harrison Harrison"]
[Black "Bas van Riel"]
[WhiteElo "1655"]
[BlackElo "1798"]
[Result "1-0"]

1.Nf3 {BvR. I have ommitted to write my comments. I would like to invite those who are interested in the game, to analyse, to submit alternative moves and to make other comments. As a group's exercise in assessing positions, and in making decisions. Please don't use a chess program, as that would defeat the purpose, I believe.} c5 2.a4 g6 3.Ra3 Bg7 4.h4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 {I think d5 would've been better, contesting the centre and not allowing white to gain a big space advantage. (RL)} 6.e4 a6 7.Bc4 e6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Qc7 10.f4? d6? {I would've taken on e4 with a discovered attack on the knight on d4.(RL)} 11.g4? O-O? {Same again - take on e4 with a discovered attack on d4. I was surprised black castled in front of a pawn storm rather than leaving the king in the centre. (RL)} 12.Nxc6 Qxc6 13.Bd3 d5 14.Qf3 d4 15.Ne2 h5 {Why help white to open up the king side? (RL)} 16.gxh5 Nxh5 17.Rg1 Kh7 18.Rg5 Rh8 19.Qf2 Rd8 20.e5! Qh1+ 21.Ng1 {Bringing the rook back instead of the knight would've been awkward for black - the knight could've helped dislodge the black knight then. (RL)} Kh8 22.Be2 Qe4 23.Kd1! d3! 24.Rxd3 Rxd3+ 25.Bxd3 Qxa4 26.Nh3 Bh6 27.Rxh5?! {I thought that was a nice, gutsy move! Removes a key defender and blacks white squared bishop and rook are pretty useless at the moment, compared to white's active bishop pair and knight ready to jump into g5. I would've gotten depressed about now if I were Bas.... (RL)} gxh5 28.Qf3 Bd7 29.b3 {White should've taken on h5! that would've been a killer move! (RL)} Qc6 30.Be4 Qb5 31.c4 Qb4 32.Bd2 Qa3 33.Bc2! Qa1+ 34.Ke2 Qb2?? 35.Qe4 {BvR. When I resigned, Harrison was very happy as it was the very first time that he beat me in a serious game. Seeing him so happy was, in fact, a consolation price for my loss. A pity that nobody was around to share this moment. After all, it was about midnight. Before we left, Harrison took his new violin, tuned it and asked me for my favorite song to play, and celebrate his victory. I can't remember that I have ever experienced a more upifting feeling after a lost game. It helped that I believed after the game that I had played a good game, and that Harrison fully deserved his win. This idea has changed, unfortunately, now I have analysed the serious mistakes I have made, and which were admirably punished by Harrison. I now feel somewhat embarrassed, but I certainly would not like to have missed those special moments after the end of our game. I only hope that it will not happen too often in the near future with all those talented juniors who, I am sure, will snap at my heels, if I let them.
NB. I have ommitted to write my comments. I would like to invite those who are interested in the game, to analyse, to submit alternative moves and to make other comments. As a group's exercise in assessing positions, and in making decisions. Please don't use a chess program, as that would defeat the purpose, I believe.} {#r}